Feeding mechanisms for sewing machines



Dec. 13, 1955 A. N. HALE FEEDING MECHANISMS FOR SEWING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1953 INVENTOR. Art/z ur N Hale WIINESS= flg W ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 A. N; HALE FEEDING MECHANISMS FOR SEWING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1953 INVENTOR. Arthur .N. Hale WITNESS Dec. 13, 1955 A. N. HALE 2,726,614

FEEDING MECHANISMS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed March 4, 1953- 4 Sheets-Sh IN V EN TOR. 56 Aw'flmr JV. Hale WITNESS BY ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 A. N. HALE FEEDING MECHANISMS FOR SEWING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 4, 1953 INVENTOR Arthur N Hale WITNESS ATTORNEY United States Patent FEEDING MECHANISMS FOR SEWING MACHINES Arthur N. Hale, Park Ridge, 11]., assignor to The Singer 'Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 4, 1953, Serial No. 340,278

11 Claims. (Cl. 112--214) The present invention relates to sewing machines and has for a primary object to provide an improved feeding mechanism therefor.

In particular it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved mechanism for actuating a feedroller of a sewing machine whereby intermittent rotation willbe imparted to the feed-roller.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of this disclosure, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial rear elevation view of a sewing machine embodying the invention, with parts thereof sectioned to illustrate relationship of the elements.

Fig.2 is a top plan view of the bed of the machine illustrated in Fig. l with the driving belt sectioned and with the bed-plates removed to illustrate the underlying mechanisms and with other parts not essential to .the invention broken away.

Fig. 3 is a section view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1 showing the mechanism for raising the upper roller presser.

The machine which has been selected to illustrate an embodiment of the .present invention includes a bed .1 having a standard 2 rising from one end thereof, which standard supports an overhanging bracket-arm 3 that terminates in a head 4. The usual main or bracket-arm shaft 5 is journaled longitudinally of the bracket-arm 3. It will be understood, of course, that the shaft Sis to be operative'ly connected to drive, in any well known manner, the various mechanisms carried by the head of the machine (all not shown). At its outer end the shaft 5 has fixed thereto the usual combined'hand-wheel and beltpulley 6, about which is entrained a'belt 7 for delivering power to the machine for operating the same.

The bed 1 comprises a vertical front-wall '7 and rear wall 8 connected together by a transverse vertical head end wall 9, a standard end wall 10 and an intermediate wall "11. The usual cloth plates 12 overlie the bed 1 to form a Work-manipulating surface. Journaled longitudinally of the bed 1 as in suitable bushings in the transverse walls 10 and 1.1 is a bed-shaft 13, designed to .rotate in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 2, which shaft extends beyond the wall 10 a distance suflicient to have a grooved belt-pulley 14 secured thereto. A belt '15 operatively connects the pulley 14 to a 'similar'pulley 16 secured to the arm-shaft 5, whereby power is delivered to the pulley 14 and thus'tothe shaft'13.

"For feeding work past the stitching mechanism there is provided a four-motion typefeedingmechanismsimilarto that disclosed in the US. patent of Zeier, No. 2,292,258,

to which reference is made for a more complete description of the same. Briefly, this feeding mechanism ineludes an adjustable eccentric 17 fixed to the shaft 13 and having the strap of a pitman 18 embracing the, eccentric portion thereof. The eccentric 17 may be of any 'well known construction, for :instance, as illustrated in the Meyers Patent No. 2,138,031. The pitman 18 is .pivotally connected to a crank 19 fast upon a feed-advance and return shaft 20 which is journaled in the walls 9 and 11.

parallel to the shaft 20 and upon which pins 22 arepivotally mounted the opposed legs of a U-shaped feed-bar 23 which, in turn, has adjustably fixed thereto a feed-dog 24. Thus, it will be seen that, as the shaft 13 rotates,

oscillation will be imparted to the shaft 2! which will effect feed-advance and return motions of thefeed-dog 24.

Feed-lift motions of the feed-dog 24 are derived from an eccentric 25 fixed to the bed-shaft 13 and embraced by the strap portion of a pitman v26 that is connected by means of a crank 27 to a .feed-lift shaft 28.journaled in the walls 9 and 11 of the bed. A second crank 29 is fixed to the shaft 28, which crank 29 is connected by means of a link 30 to an arm 31 integral with the feed-bar 23. Thus, rotation of the shaft-13 will'effect oscillation of the shaft 28, which in turn, imparts vertical feedalift motions to the feed-dog 24.

An auxiliary feeding means is provided in the form of a feeduoller type puller-feed comprising a lower driven feed-roller 32 and an upper roller-.presser 33. The rollerpresser 33 is loosely journaled in the opposed arms of a U-shaped yoke 34 that is secured to the lower end of .a slot 43 formed in the bracket 37. The rollerresser 33 may be raised and loweredrelative to the feed-roller 32 by a handle 44 pivotedto the lower arm 36 of the bracket 37 and carrying a cam 45 that engages under a laterally extending lug 46 on the collar 40.

The drive for the feed-roller 32 includes a rotary feeddrive shaft 47 journaled in spaced brackets 48 that are secured to the rear wall 7 of the bed as by screws 49. Rotation is imparted to the shaft 47 by a worm 50 that meshes with a worm-wheel 51 secured to said shaft. The worm 50 is secured to one end of a rotary shaft 52 journaled in spaced arms 53 of .a bracket 54 that is'secured to a plate 55 as by screws 56. The plate 55 is, in turn, secured to the bottom edge of the walls 7, 8 and 10 as by scerws 57. At its opposite end, the shaft 52 carries a worm-wheel 58 that meshes with a worm-59 fixed to the bed-shaft 13. From the above it will be seen that rotation of the shaft 13 in the direction of the arrow A will effect a rotation of-the shaft 47-at a substantially reduced rate in the direction of the arrow B, Fig. v2.

The feed-roller 32 is fixed to a shaft 60 that is arranged .parallel to the shaft 47, which shaft 601's journalediin the upper or free ends of the arms of a U-shaped rocker 61. The shaft 47 passes through bores formed in-suitably'en- 'larged portions intermediate the ends ofthe arms of the rocker 61, whereby the rocker is journaled thereon for oscillation relative thereto. Oscillation is imparted to the rocker 61 by a U-shaped yoke 62 having the spaced ends thereof loosely surrounding the shaft 60 and being connected as by a screw 63 to a pitman 64, the strap portion of which pitman embraces an eccentric 65 on the oscillating feed-advance and return shaft 20. The feedroller 32 is thus swung in an arc about the axis of shaft 47. Rotation is imparted to the shaft 60 and thus to the feed-roller 32 by a gear 66 fixed to the shaft 47 which gear meshes with a similar gear 67 fixed to the shaft 60.

During operation of the sewing machine, the shaft 60 and thus the feed-roller 32 is normally rotated in the direction of the arrow C by the continuously rotating shaft 47 through the gears 66 and 67. However, simultaneously with this rotation, oscillation about the axis of shaft 47 and gear 66 is imparted to the shaft 60 by the eccentric 65, pitman 64 and yoke 62. It will be seen that, when the shaft 60 is oscillated about the center of shaft 47, the gear 67 will be moved bodily about the gear 66.

When the gear 67 is swung about the gear 66 in the direction of rotation of the latter, relative rotation between the two can be substantially eliminated, i. e., the point of contact between the two will be fixed and the feed-roller 32 is, comparatively, at rest. Further, the effects of the bodily movement of the feed-roller 32 relative to the work can be substantially eliminated by mak ing the bodily movement at a speed slightly less than the peripheral speed of the feed-roller due to gear drive 66 and 67. Thus, the reverse movement of the feed-roller relative to the work due to the bodily movement would be negatived by a forward feeding rotation of the same caused by the gear drive.

When the gear 67 is swung about the gear 66 in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the latter, the gear 67, in addition to being driven by the gear 65, will walk about the same and thus, will rotate faster than the gear 66. During this portion of the feeding cycle, the feed-roller 32 will be rotated in the direction of the arrow C, which will eifect a feeding of the work along a line in the direction of the arrow D, Fig. 3. In this manner, by superposing the bodily movement of the driven gear 67 about the axis of the driving gear 66 upon the continuous rotation of the driving gear 66 there has been obtained a substantially intermittent rotation of the driven gear 66, and consequently of the shaft 60 and feed-roller 32, which will effect the desired intermittent feed of the work through the machine.

The effective feeding action, which is this forward feeding less the reverse feeding due to the bodily movement of the feed-roller 32, if any, is determined by the gear ratios in the driving system and the diameter of the feed-roller 32, and is not dependent upon the amplitude of oscillation of the feed-roller. In this connection it should be noted that the oscillation of the feed-roller 32 merely modulates the rotation or feeding action thereof, i. e., during one portion of the cycle the oscillation tends to reduce the rotation of the feed-roller and during the other portion of the cycle it tends to amplify the rotation thereof by an equal amount. Thus, by properly dimensioning the various parts, any desired stitch length can be produced. The feeding action of the feed-roller 32 should substantially coincide with that of the feed-dog 24.

Of course, the actuation of the feed-roller 32 is timed to perform its feeding stroke simultaneously with the feeding stroke of the feed-dog 24, which synchronization can be had by adjustment of the eccentric 65 on the shaft 20. In a sewing machine of the needle-feed type, this feeding would be timed to coincide with the feeding stroke of the needle while it is in the work.

Although herein disclosed as an eccentric 65 fixed to the feed-shaft 20, it will be understood that this construction represents only the preferred emb diment of the invention and that any suitable crank means or other source of oscillation, properly timed, may serve to oscillate the feed-roller 32. In particular, it will be obvious that the same could be actuated by a direct connection with the feed-bar 23, the feed-rocker 21, or the feed-dog 24, all of which are oscillated in proper timed relationship with respect to the desired oscillation of the feedroller 32.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to a preferred embodiment of my invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, What I claim herein is:

1. In a feeding mechanism for a sewing machine, a rotary shaft, a feed-roller, means journaling said feedroller upon an axis substantially parallel to said shaft and bodily movable on a substantially fixed radius about said shaft, drive connections between said shaft and said feed-roller for imparting rotation to said feed-roller upon rotation of said shaft, said drive connections comprising a driving element fixed to said shaft and a cooperating driven element operatively connected to said feed-roller, and means for oscillating said feed-roller and driven element relative to said shaft and driving element about the axis of said shaft in timed relation to the rotation thereof for modifying the effective rotation of said feed-roller about its axis, said means comprising an actuating shaft, an actuating element carried by said actuating shaft, and operative connections between said actuating element and said feed-roller and driven element.

2. In a feeding mechanism for a sewing machine, a rotary shaft, a rocker journaled axially of said shaft, a feed-roller journaled in said rocker upon an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft, drive connections between said shaft and said feed-roller for imparting rotation to said feed-roller upon rotation of said shaft, said drive connections comprising a rotary driving element fixed to said shaft and a rotary driven element operatively connected to said feed-roller, and means for oscillating said rocker about the axis of said shaft in timed relation to the rotation thereof for modifying the effective rotation of said feed-roller about its axis, said means comprising an actuating shaft, an actuating element carried by said shaft, and operative connections between said actuating element and said rocker.

3. In a feeding mechanism for a sewing machine, a rotary shaft, a rocker loosely journaled upon said shaft, a feed-roller journaled in said rocker upon an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft, drive connections between said shaft and said feed-roller for imparting rotation to said feed-roller upon rotation of said shaft, said drive connections comprising a rotary driving element fixed to said shaft and a rotary driven element operatively connected to said feed-roller, and means for oscillating said rocker about said shaft in timed relation to the rotation of said shaft for modifying the effective rotation of said feed-roller about its axis, said means comprising an actuating shaft, an actuating element carried by said shaft, and operative connections between said actuating element and said rocker.

4. In a feeding mechanism for a sewing machine, a rotary driving shaft, a rocker loosely journaled upon said shaft, a second shaft journaled in said rocker on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said driving shaft, ,a feed-roller fixed to said second shaft, drive connections between said shafts for imparting rotation to said second shaft upon rotation of said driving shaft, said drive connections comprising a rotary driving element fixed to said driving shaft and a rotary driven element fixed to said second shaft, and means for oscillating said rocker f about said driving shaft in timed relation to the rotation of said driving shaft for modifying the effective rotation of said second shaft about its axis, said means comprising an actuating shaft, an actuating element carried by said shaft, and operative connections between said actuating element and said rocker.

5. In a feeding mechanism for a sewing machine, a rotary driving shaft, a rocker loosely journaled upon said shaft, a second shaft journaled in said rocker on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said driving shaft, a feed-roller fixed to said second shaft, drive connections between said shafts for imparting rotation to said second shaft upon rotation of said driving shaft, said drive connections comprising a gear fixed to said driving shaft and a gear fixed to said second shaft, and means for oscillating said rocker about said driving shaft in timed relation to the rotation of said driving shaft for modifying the effective rotation of said second shaft about its axis, said means comprising an actuating shaft, an eccentric carried by said shaft, and operative connections between said eccentric and said rocker.

6. A compound feeding mechanism for a sewing machine comprising a first feed-element, an actuating shaft, operative connections between said feed element and said actuating shaft for imparting feed strokes to said feed element upon actuation of said shaft, a rotary feed-shaft, a rocker loosely journaled upon said feed-shaft, a feedroller journaled in said rocker on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said feed-shaft, drive connections between said feed-shaft and said feed-roller for imparting rotation to said feed-roller upon rotation of said shaft, said drive connections comprising a rotary driving element fixed to said feed-shaft and a rotary driven element operatively connected to said feed-roller, and means for oscillating said rocker about said feed-shaft in timed relation to the rotation thereof for modifying the effective rotation of said feed-roller about its axis, said means comprising an actuating element on said actuating shaft and operative connections between said actuating element and said rocker.

7. In a sewing machine having a bed, a rotary bedshaft journaled longitudinally of said bed, a feed-advance and return shaft journaled longitudinally of said bed, operative connections between said shafts to impart oscillation to said feed-advance and return shaft upon rotation of said bed-shaft, a first feed-element, operative connections between said feed-advance and return shaft and said feed-element to impart feed strokes to the latter upon oscillation of the feed-advance and return shaft, and an auxiliary feeding mechanism comprising a rotary feed-shaft journaled longitudinally of said bed, operative connections between said feed-shaft and said bed-shaft to impart rotation to the feed-shaft upon rotation of said bed-shaft, a rocker journaled axially of said feedshaft, a feed-roller journaled in said rocker on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said feed-shaft, drive connections between said feed-shaft and said feed-roller for imparting rotation to said feed-roller upon rotation of said shaft, said drive connections comprising a rotary driving element fixed to said feed-shaft and a rotary driven element operatively connected to said feed-roller, and means for oscillating said rocker about said feedshaft in timed relation to the rotation thereof for modifying the effective rotation of said feed-roller about its axis, said means comprising an actuating element on said feedadvance and return shaft and operative connections between said actuating element and said rocker.

' 8. In a feeding mechanism for a sewing machine, a rotary driving shaft, a driven feed-roller shaft journaled upon an axis substantially parallel to said driving shaft, driving connections between said shafts for imparting rotation to said feed-roller shaft upon rotation of said driving shaft, said driving connections comprising intermeshing gears including a driving gear fixed to said rotary driving shaft-and a driven gear fixed to said feedroller shaft, and means for driving said driven shaft in out-of-phase relationship with said driving shaft comprising a support for one of said shafts pivotally mounted for oscillation about the axis of the other of said shafts and thereby providing for swinging movements of the one about the axis of the other of said shafts, and means for swinging said one of said shafts during rotation of said driving shaft.

9. In a feeding mechanism for a sewing machine, a rotary shaft, a feed-roller, means for mounting said feed-roller for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said shaft and for bodily movement on a substantially fixed radius about saidshaft, a rotary drive between said shaft and said feed-roller for imparting rotation to said feed-roller upon rotation of said shaft, and actuating means operative during and in timed relation to the rotation of said shaft for oscillating said feedroller about said shaft whereby intermittent feed-advance movements will be imparted to said feed roller.

10. In a sewing machine having a first feeding mechanism, an auxiliary feeding mechanism comprising a rotary shaft, a feed-roller, means for mounting said feedroller for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said shaft and for bodily movement on a substantially fixed radius about said shaft, a rotary drive between said shaft and said feed-roller for imparting rotation to said feed-roller upon rotation of said shaft, and operative connections between said first feeding mechanism and said feed-roller for oscillation the latter upon and in timed relation to actuation of the former, whereby intermittent feed-advance movements will be imparted to said feed roller.

11. In a feeding mechanism for a sewing machine, a rotary shaft, a feed-roller, means for journaling said feed-roller upon an axis substantially parallel to said shaft and bodily movable on a substantially fixed radius about said shaft, drive connections between said shaft and said feed-roller for imparting rotation to said feedroller upon rotation of said shaft, said drive connections comprising a driving element fixed to said shaft and a cooperating driven element operatively connected to said feed-roller, and an actuating element for oscillating said feed-roller and driven element relative to said shaft and driving element about the axis of said shaft in timed relation to the rotation thereof for modifying the effective rotation of said feed-roller about its axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,841,859 Thobroe et al Jan. 19, 1932 1,929,299 Zeier Oct. 3, 1933 2,035,365 Clayton Mar. 24, 1936 2,092,335 Sauer et al. Sept. 7, 1937 2,268,414 Meyer Dec. 30, 1941 2,470,502 Le Vesconte et al. May 17, 1949 

